Nanowrimo Separation Anxiety

It is day 28 of National Novel Writing Month. I am writing a sequel to a novel I wrote for my daughter, as requested by her.



I am more than halfway through the novel, but only four hundred words shy of the 50 k goal. And now I'm feeling sad, already missing it. Part of me doesn't want to write the last few hundred words, so I won't have to say good bye...

I've decided to make the next few days a personal test, to see if I can sustain the pace when it isn't simply as a marathoner.

Let me tell you, writing nearly two thousand words a day is a wonderful way to expend my mental energy. I hope to keep it up. Boy, would I like some writer friends to support this habit!

Here is the question I will need to answer: can I have a family life, and paint, and write, and play fiddle? Ah, what a happy prospect!


Nanowrimo has taught me several things: 
  1. The first 350 words of the day are the hardest to write
  2. Unless the hardest to write are the last 350, and sometimes both are pretty tough
  3. Fifteen minute sprints are better than nothing, as I generally manage 350 words in one sprint
  4. However, half hour sprints are better, because I think more about the story, and average more than 850 words in that time
  5. Sitting for too long hurts
  6. Some distance is required to see the story, which requires thinking critically about the story outside of writing times
  7. I must always write in a way that will at least interest myself as the audience, or else I am too bored to write
  8. Writing is usually tedious, but satisfying
  9. Housework is occasionally required, but writing is more interesting
  10. My best writing ideas come when I'm bored/trying to fall asleep/meditating

Anyone else out there experience Nano separation anxiety?

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. Yay for boredom ( sleeping/meditating)!
      Very occasionally the ideas come while writing... okay, quite often. Admitting that is hard, though, because it means I might need to write in order to get ideas instead of the other way around .

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  2. Sometimes I think of great plot ideas while someone else is talking to me. I feel bad for nodding without really listening to them, but boy am I happy about my new idea! I especially agree with number 1, though. Once I get beyond those first 350 of the day, it's usually smooth sailing. There's also those days where I do everything possible to avoid getting through those 350 words.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hah! Funny, yes - it's amazing what a fight it is to write so little, isn't it? Like little kids complaining for an hour before practicing the piano for five minutes (speaking for myself, anyway...)
      Or maybe it's that every day we need to learn how to walk again.
      Some analogy like that.

      Delete

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